Float on the missouri in montana?

[jjrgr21]

I have a 13' rmr raft and me and a buddy were thinking of doing a week on the missouri. Mainly just relaxing, fishing, if it happens to coincide with a hunt or can get a tag, that's great but not a big deal.

Has anyone on here had any experience on the missouri?

We don't want to hace to row a bunch, so good flow would be awesome.

Any input is appreciated.

 

[Cockeye]

Which side of fort peck. If east side you would be in Indian res most of the trip.

 

[hobbes]

I'm not sure how it would affect a week long float, but there are dams along the Missouri. I've no idea what it takes to go past them. You'd have to be selective about where you camped because there is plenty of private land that'll prevent you from leaving the banks. Looks like plenty of water, but not moving terribly fast where I've seen it. Upper Missouri will be trout mostly changing to warm water species as you head east.

 

[jjrgr21]

Id like to steer clear of the res if we can. I call fish and game and they said there is a 50' easement from the bank of the highest flow.

I'm guessing (hoping) that we could carry around the dams.

 

[nodakian]

I’ve not done the trip myself, but I know guys who have done Coal Banks Landing to Fred Robinson Bridge, 4-5 days I believe. Some were summer trips, and at least one was a November deer hunt. All have been canoes because they maneuver well. I don’t know how rafts would do, but the way the wind blows in that country, combined with the meandering river, you may encounter situations where you’d have to row downstream. No dams on this stretch. Plenty of wildlife and fish.

Lots of folks do this run, and it’s in my list of goals too.

 

[Okhotnik]

Ive floated the Missouri a few times in a canoe and fish up by Craig where the current is stronger.

It would be tough to float some of the lower parts in a raft due to the wind.

 

[BluMtn]

I floated the Missouri last year around thanksgiving for 5 days. -20 and snowed on us a couple days. You have to pay attention to the flow of the river because it is very low that time of year, you can get hung up on gravel bars if you don't stay in the channels. The last day we were cutting sheets of 1" thick ice in the river to get to our pullout area. Saw tons of sheep and got a couple deer. did it out of a 14' rowboat.

 

[Wapiti1]

Below Great Falls, there is nothing until you hit Fort Peck. As mentioned, Coal Banks to Fred Robinson is a good float. You can do Ft. Benton or Loma as a start as well. It adds about a day to the float. Take out at Judith Landing (about 2-3 days), or go on to Fred Robinson (5 days or so). Above Great Falls, you can put in at Holter Dam and camp at the boat ramps on the way down. All private land otherwise along the river.

From Coal Banks, it is all national monument land along the river. From FT. Benton you have private until you pass Coal Banks.

The river there flows well, but you will have to steer into the channel. If you take out at Fred Robinson, park on the south side of the river at the boat launch, not on the north side. Any rain or snow and you aren't getting out on the north side. The road becomes a slimy mess of snot and mud and you get to stay there until it dries out.

Jeremy

 

[nodakian]

This thread got me thinking about taking the local Boy Scouts on an adventure. Around here they only think about going to MN. I tell them that people from MN go to MT for adventure (my folks did it 50 years ago and never went back).

This link is really helpful.

https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/documents/files/Boaters%20Guide%20JL%20to%20Kipp%202017%20508%20COMPL.pdf

 

[Gumbo]

A week on the Mo in a raft is not very feasible, unless you want to row the flattest water that can still be considered a river or deal with dams. I might suggest other places in MT for a rafting trip, if you are interested shoot me a PM.

 

[jjrgr21]

Thanks all

 

[MtnBum]

I’ve done the Winifred to Fred Robison in a drift boat at the tail end of last summer with a buddy. It’s a good 60mi float and we averaged around 2mi per hour pace taking us 4 days to do the float. We had the typical winds as usual and did have a day of solid rain which resulted in us covering more river that day do to the Missouri flowing a little faster. Few things to take into consideration if you haven’t already done this float.. First thing is that if your in a time crunch you will have to do a good bit of rowing depending the time of year your doing it. You will also want to take the shuttle into consideration because we had a good 2.5hr (one way) shuttle from put in to take out so your looking at 5hrs to shuttle if there’s rain and you have to take the highway route. We didn’t see a ton of sheep but we did manage to see 3 big rams bedded on an outcrop 50yds off the side of the river, we heard plenty of coyotes and saw a few too, also saw whitetails, beavers and tons of birds. Couple other tips is I’d recommend bringing a pair of muck boots and a garmin inreach if you’ve got one, there’s some sections of that river where you really feel as if your in the middle of no where. Watch for rattle snakes if your going in the summer, especially on the rivers edge as well as on the islands. Good luck.